The little things matter but the tiniest things matter more.
What do I mean?
In a school, there are lots of macro issues that take centre stage and so they should. But there are plenty of micro issues that need attending to that can make a big difference to school outcomes.
Let’s illustrate with some cottage cheese and ultra athlete Dave Scott who won the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon six times.
Every single day Scott would train by riding his bike 75 miles, swimming 20,000 meters, and running 17 miles. To mere mortals this is an insane amount of work.
But Scott believed that a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet would give him an extra edge so he would literally rinse his cottage cheese to get the extra fat off.
Did it make a difference?
Yes, it did.
What can you shave off, rinse off or dilute to make something stronger or give you the edge?
“Rinsing your cottage cheese” is a great metaphor for super-disciplined people and super-disciplined organisations who go more than the extra mile to create impact.